---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Promises to friends and to yourself · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the sale of an article previously promised to another? Exam question 2 of lesson 359 «Promises to friends and to yourself» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of e
---

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# Exam question 2 · Promises to friends and to yourself

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the sale of an article previously promised to another?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** sale · **What happens:** follow, characteris, promise · **To what, where:** another

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 359 «Promises to friends and to yourself» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the sale of an article previously promised to another?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	sale	sale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	article	article	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	previously	previously	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	promised	promise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	ccomp	_	_
16	to	to	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  |  |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **promise** *speech: promise* | past | the sale of a article |  | another |  |  | previously *property* | vn promise-37.13 «NP V PP.recipient that S»: agent=Agent to another=Recipient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is permissible if the promise was spoken

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself:e2:o1:1
# text = It is permissible if the promise was spoken
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	permissible	permissible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	spoken	speak	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | permissible *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* *a condition, not said to happen* | past · passive |  | the promise |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is permissible provided that the price obtained for the article is a fair one

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself:e2:o2:1
# text = It is permissible provided that the price obtained for the article is a fair one
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
3	permissible	permissible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	provided	provide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	price	price	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
8	obtained	obtain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	article	article	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	fair	fair	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **provide** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn ensure-99 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **obtain** | participle |  | the price *not said here* |  |  |  | for the article | vn obtain-13.5.2-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: agent=Agent for article=Asset |
| 3 | **is a** | present | the price | a fair one |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is obligatory where money is needed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself:e2:o3:1
# text = It is obligatory where money is needed
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	obligatory	obligatory	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	7	advmod	_	_
5	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	needed	need	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | obligatory *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **need** | present · passive |  | money |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: subject=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is wrong, since the article was no longer the promiser's to dispose of

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself:e2:o4:1
# text = It is wrong, since the article was no longer the promiser's to dispose of
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
5	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	article	article	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
9	no	no	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	longer	long	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	12	advmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	promiser	promiser	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	to	to	PART	TO	_	15	mark	_	_
15	dispose	dispose	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | past | the article |  |  |  |  | 's the promiser; long *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **dispose** | to-infinitive | the promiser |  |  |  |  |  | vn addict-96 «NP V NP PP.Theme»: agent=Agent |

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**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Promises to friends and to yourself, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself/e1/)
- next →: [Promises to friends and to yourself, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Promises to friends and to yourself](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/359-promises-to-friends-and-to-yourself/)